Original 1973 Mohammed Ali/ Ken Norton Closed Circuit TV Boxing Poster
Original 1973 Mohammed Ali/Ken Norton closed circuit TV boxing poster. An historical piece of sports memorabilia.
Still rebuilding a winning record after his first professional loss to Joe Frazier, Ali faced Norton on March 31, 1973, at the Sports Arena, San Diego, California. The fight was aired live on free TV in the United States via ABC. The fight against Norton started a years-long rivalry. Ali was out maneuvered by Norton’s unorthodox fighting style, which involved jabbing from below and crossing his hands for defence. As the final bell rang, Norton won on a split decision, igniting a controversy in the boxing world. Soon after the fight, Ali was treated in hospital for a broken jaw, an injury sustained in the first round of the fight.
On September 10, 1973, Ali and Norton met at the Forum, Inglewood, California, USA, for their highly anticipated rematch. Norton was in superb shape going into the second fight while Ali took to training at his training camp in Deer Lake, Pennsylvania, where he “sought to whip his once Adonis-like physique back into shape.” As the fight began, both Ali and Norton appeared in shape and energetic. However, Ali demonstrated his physical stamina by skipping without pause and standing between rounds. Norton came out aggressively in the beginning of the fifth round, leading with a barrage of jabs and pushing Ali to a more defensive posture. In the final round, Ali dominated with a series of combinations. Though the match was close, Ali ended up winning the split with 2 votes to 1. Although Ali had demonstrated the physical stamina for which he had become known, he admitted, “I’m tireder than usual, because of my age.
[Wiki]
Condition: Good- Folds-Minor separation to fold, mark to the left edge.
Size: 55.8 x 35 cm
